Priorities, People!

This meme was originally published on my Facebook page on July 9, 2019.

True story: For about a decade, my OB/GYN had been hounding me to have a hysterectomy (For anyone squeamish about reading details of the female plumbing system, you might want to bail out here. We’ll totally judge you for it, but do what you must). I had some pretty good-sized fibroid tumors that did they best to complicate both of my pregnancies. As a matter of fact, my son was over a month early because of my condition, and my pregnancy with the twins was considered high-risk because of them. I knew I was “done” after having the girls, so it made sense to have most of the apparatus removed with the partial hysterectomy my doctor had been nagging me about. But the time never seemed right for me to be off my feet for a few weeks; either the girls were too young and I was needed to care for them, or our schedules were so packed that it wouldn’t be feasible.

At an appointment in the spring of 2019, my OB/GYN basically told me that I was an idiot (which I already knew, so I could have saved that co-pay). At the age of 44, why was I hanging on to the innards I no longer needed and were causing me pain? It’s hard to argue with logic, so I tried to make the appointment to have the hysterectomy performed.

The most difficult part? Trying to find a date that wouldn’t interfere with the dance competition schedule! SERIOUSLY! I wanted to be able to stand on my feet to do both girls’ hair, makeup, and costuming without asking for anyone’s help, but allowed myself time to heal before I started school in September. So I had to do some creative calendar-ing (not a word, but as a literacy teacher, I’m claiming privilege) and compromised with myself a bit. I would have the surgery in mid-July, giving myself about two weeks to recuperate enough to prep my girls for the World Dance Championship. This also allowed for six weeks between the surgery and the beginning of the school year, so it was the best solution I could come up with.

When I explained this to people outside of our little competitive dance bubble, they thought I was nuts (valid point, obviously). “How can you worry about DANCE when you’re in need of this operation?” It’s not so much that I worried about dance, as that I was thinking of being there for my girls when they needed me.

So that’s the story behind this meme. It’s about our priorities, whether or not others “get it.” The only thing I can really hope for is that one day, my girls come to realize that although I may not have always made the right decisions, I did try to make them with my children in mind.

For another dance mom problem, check out this Toy Story meme!

Work hard, have fun! – Danielle